A man who was found guilty of double murder received a death sentence through lethal injection in an Oklahoma prison on Tuesday. As he faced death, he expressed his love to supporters, saying, “I love you all,” while the victims’ families observed. He later remarked that the smile he wore in the execution chamber mirrored the one that had haunted them for two decades.
Kendrick Simpson, 45, was convicted in connection with the shooting deaths of 19-year-old Anthony Jones and 20-year-old Glenn Palmer during a confrontation at a nightclub in Oklahoma City back in 2006.
In the death chamber, Simpson stated, “I love you all. Thank you everyone for being here to support me.”
The execution, which lasted less than 15 minutes, included Bible readings by Simpson’s spiritual advisor, Rev. Don Heath.
Medical personnel confirmed that Simpson lost consciousness after about five minutes and was later pronounced dead.
Family members of the deceased were taken aback by Simpson’s demeanor during the execution. Crystal Allison, sister of Palmer, expressed her feelings, saying, “He had the same smile on his deathbed that had haunted me for 20 years.”
Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated that Simpson’s execution might provide “some peace” to the victims’ families. He said, “Justice has been served for Glenn Palmer and Anthony Jones. Their young lives were tragically taken far too soon,” while also hoping that the outcome might ease the suffering their families have endured over the past two decades.
Reports indicated that Simpson’s final meal consisted of a bacon cheeseburger, an onion ring, and a strawberry milkshake.
Prosecutors asserted that Simpson, along with friends, chased Palmer and Jones from a gas station and then shot at their vehicle, killing them.
During his trial, it was revealed that Simpson, who moved to Oklahoma City from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, experienced PTSD due to the disruption caused by the disaster. Interestingly, he too had been a victim of gun violence, having been shot five times in a drive-by shooting in New Orleans in 2004.
At a hearing in January, Simpson acknowledged his responsibility for the crime, saying, “I make no excuses. I don’t blame others, and they didn’t deserve what happened to them.”
His request for clemency was denied by the Oklahoma Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the U.S. Supreme Court also rejected his appeal against the execution.
Simpson’s execution marked the first in Oklahoma for the year and the second in the United States overall.
In related news, Ronald Palmer Heath, age 64, was sentenced to death in Florida after being convicted of a murder during an attempted armed robbery in 1989.
